End loaders are commonly used for performing various industrial and agricultural tasks. The typical end loader is comprised of a vehicle, such as a tractor, having a pair of flexible arms typically extending from the front end of the vehicle, where the arms can be raised and lowered for performing work. Various types of implements may be attached to the ends of the arms for performing such tasks as lifting, sweeping, digging, grading, etc. Thus, the implement attached to the end loader may take the form of a scoop or a fork structure for lifting and transporting an object or loose material such as dirt or stone, a sweeper for cleaning a surface, or a grader for working the ground. In virtually all cases, the load bearing or load moving implement is of high strength and is typically comprised of a strong metal such as steel and is thus of considerable weight.
Because the various implements discussed above are designed to perform a specific task, it is necessary to change implements when the performance of various tasks is required. It is thus highly desirable to facilitate and simplify the removal of one implement from and the attachment of another implement to the end loader's movable arms. Unfortunately, there is a great variety of lift arm attachment arrangements, where the specific design of the attachment arrangement is determined by the individual implement or end loader manufacturer. Some end loader attachment arrangements make use of a pair of vertically spaced, horizontally aligned mounting pins which are adapted for engagement by upper and lower pairs of grooves, or slots, on the ends of the end loader arms. Another attachment scheme makes use of left and right brackets, each adapted to receive a generally vertically oriented connecting pin for attaching the implement to the ends of the end loader's two lift arms. The various attachment arrangements incorporate different connecting hardware and employ different installation and removal procedures in attaching and releasing the implement from the end loader and are thus incompatible.
A typical attachment device used for attaching an implement to a pair of end loader arms typically has a first side adapted for connection to the ends of the end loader arms and a second, opposed side for connecting to the implement. In some cases, part of the attachment arrangement is incorporated in the attachment device, while another part of the attachment arrangement is mounted integrally with the implement. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,986,722 discloses an implement attachment arrangement having a first locking pin 106 disposed on one end of a bucket 50 which is adapted for engaging an attachment carrier 30 mounted to an end of the end loader's moveable arm 22. Also attached to the movable arm 22 is an actuator mechanism having contact pin 122 which engages a handle 118 of locking pin 106 for moving the pin to a locking position as the attachment is rocked about a pivotal axis by an attachment cylinder. This complicated arrangement requires mutually engaging components of the latching mechanism on the implement as well as on the end loader. Preferably, the entire latching mechanism would be located on either the implement or the end loader to simplify its design and eliminate the requirement for precise alignment of the implement and loader arms for attaching/detaching the implement.
The latching mechanism also typically requires manual intervention by the end loader operator in releasing an implement from or attaching an implement to the end loader's arms. More specifically, the end loader operator must set the latch mechanism to a release configuration for disconnection of the implement from the end loader or set the latch mechanism to an engagement configuration for attaching the implement to the end loader. This requires the end loader operator to leave the operating position on the end loader twice in changing the implement attached to the end loader, once to disconnect the implement to be released and a second time to connect a replacement implement. This procedure is inefficient and subjects the operator to possible injury during implement release from or attachment to the end loader's arms. In addition, the operator's manual intervention in the attachment procedure raises the possibility of subsequent implement detachment due to human error.
The present invention addresses the aforementioned limitations of the prior art by providing an attachment arrangement for mounting an implement to the arms of an end loader which is self-contained on the end loader arms and requires only a pair of fixed, spaced, parallel mounting pins on the implement. This inventive quick attachment arrangement allows an implement to be attached to the end loader's arms regardless of the configuration of the latching mechanism, and the implement may be removed and replaced with another implement attached to the arms without requiring the end loader operator to leave the operating position for the purpose of manually manipulating the latching mechanism.